Giants 12, White Sox 7
Keuchel off the mark vs. S.F.
White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel went just short of four innings Saturday, allowing four runs and eight hits and getting 11 outs.
While the runs were disappointing, getting through a lineup multiple times was the most important part.
“The main goal is to let the body work, get your work in,” Keuchel said. “I’m not trying to give up four runs, but at the same time, I feel good, the body feels good, and that’s really the main thing. You can pick and choose what you like, what you don’t like. I try to be a perfectionist.”
On a warm day with a stiff breeze blowing directly out to center field, Keuchel avoided giving up a home run but got tagged for three doubles. Two of those two-base hits came in a two-run fourth inning for the Giants.
The outing came five days after the left-hander allowed one run in four innings in his spring debut against the Padres.
“My first start was a back-field start technically, so that’s really the two- or three-inning outing that I would have had in a regular game,” Keuchel said. “Last start wasn’t going from one to four innings. It was a gradual climb, but we kind of wanted to stay at the same this start, too, and I just fell short of four innings. At the same time, I felt like I got my work in.”
Future looks bright
All three Sox position players in the mlb.com list of top 100 prospects had singles in a six-run sixth inning. No. 40 Nick Madrigal led off with a hit, followed by a hit from No. 3 Luis Robert. After a single from Nomar Mazara, No. 16 Andrew Vaughn had an RBI single.
Robert has hit safely in seven of his eight games, and Vaughn has reached base safely in nine of 11.
Grass stained
Luis Basabe saved at least one run with a diving catch in center field to end the sixth inning. With two runners aboard, the Giants’ Tyler Heineman sent a ball to shallow center that Basabe reached out and picked off the top of the grass.
On deck
Royals at Sox (ss), Glendale, 3:05 p.m. Sunday, whitesox.com, Kris Bubic vs. Alex McRae. Zack Burdi, Evan Marshall and Carson Fulmer also will pitch.
Sox (ss) at Padres, Peoria, 3:05 p.m., Reynaldo Lopez vs. Chris Paddack. White Sox relievers TBD.
